Baader Fluorite Flatfield Converter (FFC)

For the first time in astronomical history, a fully multicoated astronomical barlow lens has been designed with multiple CaF2 Fluorite elements (real CaF2 - not common ED Glass!). The result is a stunning performer. This is not a simple barlow lens at all. The FFC optical design provides a flat field, covering a 90mm circle with apochromatic correction from 3x to 8x focal extension. This unique design works equally well on all optical systems - be it f 4.5 newtonians, f8 apochromatic refractors, or f10 Schmidt-Cassegrains.

The Baader trademarked Astro T-2 System provides each and every adapter in order to use the CaF2 Flatfield-Converter in conjunction with a widest array of telescopes, SLR or Digital cameras, eyepieces and all related equipment. A separate group of, Changers, T-Rings and 2" adapters is available to offer unequalled performance for medium format cameras or 2" eyepieces.

The sharpest you have ever seen!

Calcium Fluorite (CaF2 ) helped to create the latest generations of Microchips, being the predominant optical crystal to enable perfect color correction and submicron resolution for the worlds most expensive microlithography lenses (and being the costliest optical material at the same time).

The same CaF2 enables us to produce super-sharp amateur optics with a level of performance unheard of before. Calcium Fluorite is known as the heart of the legendary Zeiss APQ apochromatic refractors. Being the authorized service for Carl Zeiss astro amateur products, and knowing about all the designs that Zeiss had in store for the astronomical community - we took this level of performance a step forward by actually producing those accessories one by one that were designed by Zeiss engineers as future generation of astronomical accessories.

The Fluorite Flatfield Converter

The Fluorite Flatfield Converter (FFC) is designed by one of the APQ optical inventors. It provides a diffraction limited, apochromatic flat field over a 90mm circular format. It will work equally well for a SLR-Camera and (if used on a planet for instance), it provides 10 times higher linear resolution than the best 4 mm Carl Zeiss Abb€÷ projection eyepiece.

You can use the FFC equally well as a super sharp visual barlow lens (even in front of our giant binocular) with a focal extension range from 3 x up to 8 x, depending on the accessories / extensions used. It will be the sharpest Barlow lens you have ever used. All optical surfaces are made to the highest existing standards with 1/10 wave accuracy, in order to not disturb the wavefront of even the most discriminating telescope optics.

You may have tried a lot of things to receive a large image scale with your telescope; you may have used even the best of all existing barlow lenses - or the most incredible eyepieces for eyepiece projection.

There has been nothing in existence so far like the FFC because nobody dared to fully address the problem by using worlds most expensive generated crystal. Only the use of this extreme material provides that extra degree of freedom for the optical designer, namely to maintain apochromatic color correction, while supplying a flat field over a 90mm circle, this has to be tried to be believed!